Is heart failure guideline adherence being underestimated? The impact of therapeutic contraindications

BackgroundSeveral studies based on claims data have reported underutilization of evidence-based heart failure (HF) therapies. The degree to which these estimates fail to account for therapeutic contraindications is unclear.MethodsWe identified patients with HF and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤45% seen between January 1, 2010, and July 1, 2010, at a tertiary care Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Medical records were abstracted to evaluate utilization of and contraindications to β-blocker, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, aldosterone antagonist, anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, and cardiac resynchronization therapies.ResultsOf the 178 patients with HF and an ejection fraction ≤45%, 78 (44%) received every guideline-recommended therapy. After accounting for medical contraindications, 77 (72%) of 107 patients received every guideline-recommended therapy. Adherence to recommendations for β-blocker (98%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin blocker (95%), and anticoagulation (97%) were better than adherence to implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (82%), cardiac resynchronization therapy (59%), or aldosterone antagonist (51%) recommendations. In adjusted analysis, lower New York Heart Association functional class and care by a cardiologist were associated with improved guideline adherence (P < .001).ConclusionsMany patients with HF have therapeutic contraindications, and a failure to account for these may lead to a large underestimation of the true guideline adherence rates.